Automatic train control



Jam., 2? H923.

P. J SIMMEN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

F| LIED MAR. 17.

Patented dan.. 2, 19233@ UNET@ STATES PAUL JT. SIIIEMEN, @F BUFFAL, NEW YURK.

AUTOTATC TRAEN CONTRUL..

Application led March 17, 1920.

To at?, whomit may concern lBe it known that 1, PAUL J. SIMMEN, a'

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Automatic rlirain Control of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for automatically controlling the speed of a vehicle moving along a railway and more specifically to an apparatus for controlling such speed under conditions of safety, caution or danger indicated on the vehicle, and its novelty consists in the,construction and adaptation of'the parts as will be more clearly and specifically pointed out in the claims.

1n m Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,150,308, granted August 17, 1915, and in another of my Patents No. 1,150,309, granted August 17, 1915, 1 have described an automatic apparatus for controlling Athe speed of av moving vvehicle which in brief, comprises a device moving in accordance with the actualspeed of the vehicle, another device moving in accordance with a permissible speed, together with means whereby when the actual speed eX- ceeds the Vpermissible speed at any time, retarding mechanism with which the vehicle is equipped is set into operation to reduce4 its speed or ultimately to stop the vehicle. ln my Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,257,412, granted February 26, 1918, 1 have described a train dispatching system for a railway, which comprises among other instrumentalities, means for energizing and deenergizing signal rails arranged in succession along thez'railway, whereby electrical impulses can be sent to such rails from a central office, as a train dispatchers ofiice,

to create varying conditions upon an`appa ratus carried by the vehicle, which apparatus itself forms the subject-matter of my Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,239,049, granted September 1, 1917; and in a copending application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 111075 filed March 13th, 1915; lf have described an appara-tus for effecting the joint operation of some of the foregoing instrumentalities thereby, in brief, when a clear signal is sent through one of the signal rails to a moving vehicle, a green light or the like safety indication isdisplayed on the vehicle, and after the vehicle has left the signal rail, a

Serial No. 366,500.

holding circuit maintains such a safety indication until another rail is reached and the same indication repeated or a changed one set up. lin addition, a permissible speed in- 6o dicator is held normally inoperative under such conditions. lin this same apparatus, when a caution signal is sent through the signal rail, it is similarly maintained in the vehicle after the signal rail has been passed,

and upon its receipt a permissive speed indicator is moved to a submaximum or intermediate position. When a signal rail along which the vehicle passes is deenergized a danger signal is indicated on the vehicle and a permissive speed -indicator is actuated from whatever position it happens to be in, and unless the actual speed of the vehicle is thereafter maintained at less than the permissive speed while danger' conditions eX- 75 ist, a warning signal will. be given to. the operator and, if not heeded, the brakes will be automatically put on to retard or stop the vehicle.

The subject matter of the present appliv cation is specifically to provide means different from thosedescribed in the application last mentioned, whereby the permissive speed indicator is moved from a maximum to a submaximum position when and as soon as a caution signal is indicated on the vehicle. lin addition, the apparatus is shown as provided with means for making a record of the times when the retarding mechanism is caused to be actuated by the apparatus.

lin the drawings, there is illustrated a preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention, the parts being shown largely in diagram for the sake of promoting clearshaft and cam have been brought to a sub- 10o maximum position.

ln the drawings, l,

rails along which the vehicle is adapted to travel, 3, 3 are its wheels, a is its axle and the ordinary train pipe air valve oontrolling the brake system is indicated at 5; 6 is a shoe hingedly mounted at a convenient place on the car and adapted to Contact with successive signal rails 2, during such contact pressing against a spring 7, and when out of such contact being pressed by this spring against anV arm A8; 10 is a polarized relav on 1 indicates the-track the car, having a neutral armature 11,

adapted to touch three contact points 12, 13.

and 14; 100 is a polarized armature, adapted to actuate fingers 15 and 16 to touch contacts 17, 18I and 19, and fingers 150 and 160 to touch contacts 151 and 161; 20 is a local battery mounted onthe car; .21 is a' clear signal or green light; 22 is a caution signal or yellow light and 23 is a danger signal or red light.

Also mounted in t-he car isA a centrifugal governor 30, moved from a shaft 31 by gears 32 on the wheel axle 4. On the ball frame is a sleeve 35, slidable on the shaft 31- and provided with an annular fiange 36. At its upper end the shaft 31 is provided with gears 37 and 38, each adapted to mesh with a gear 39 mounted on a shaft 40. Between the gears 37 and 38 is a sleeve 41 slidable on the shaft 31 and indented at both ends to engage similarly indented annular flanges on the gears 37 and 38, but which indentations run in opposite directions, whereby the shaft 40 is always rotated in the same direct-ion, no matter in which direction the shaft 31 is rotated.

A shaft 45 is mounted in suitable bearings f 46,' and near one end isprovided with a speed-control cam .47, and at its o posite end with a gear 48 and a wing 49.l sprin 55 and a cord 56 retract the shaft to its original position after rotation. Detents 57 and 58 are adjustably mounted in the circular path of the wing 49 to limit the extentv of theA movement of the shaft. The shaft is moved from the shaft 40 b-y means of a power transmitting mechanism including a clutch indicated at 60, a shaft supported upon and carried by bearin 61, and a p-inion 62 adapted to lmesh with the gear 48. The clutch comprises two discs 63 and 66, pressed together by a spring 65 and so arranged that they slip when undue torsional valve 5, controllingthe air strain, is brought upon the shaft. The bearing 61 isrsuspended from an arm 69 swung upon a pivot 70, the arm being the amature of an eleotromagnet 71, which is provided with two coils indicated at 710 and 711.

Adjacent to the train'air pipe valve indicated at 5 is a relay 75, havlng an armature 76 pivoted at 77 and adapt@ to compress a spring 7 8 normally adapted to hold open the pipe leading to the brake system. 80 is a bel rung by an electromagnet 81 inthe usual manner'when such magnet energized.

Hingedly mounted near the cam '47 is an arm 85, carrying a roller 86 adapted to contact therewith, a' sprin 87 serving to "romote ,such contact. T e arm/ is provided with a pivoted fork 88 adapted to straddle the collar 35, but to contact with the flange 36. The arm 85 also carries a supplemental arm 89 made of insulating material 'and carrying two contacts 90` and 91 adapted to adapted to be` touch two similar contact members 92 and 93, carried by the arm 85, the four contacts forming a make and break device,

An electromagnet indicated at 105 is conveniently located near the gear 48, its armature 106 being mounted to swing on a pivot mounted on a pivot 115 `and under tension of a spring 116. This armature is provided with a needle 117, adapted t0 perforate the paper when the magnet 113 is energized, being propelled toward the paperby the tension of the spring 116.

The described parts are, connected together by electrical conductors or wires which are designated by the lower case letters 4of the alphabet and will be so referred tor-as the.

operation of the apparatus is described.

The signal rail 2 ma beV positively or negatively energized or eenergized. First,

le-t it be assumed that it is positively energized, ,that the shoe 6 has been moved into i contact therewith and has been lifted to break the connection between the shoe and the contact 8. A circuit is then completed from the source of energization of the rail 2 through the shoe 6, the wire a, the relay 10, wire b,-,wire n, coil 711, wire o, axle 4, wheel 3 to rail 1. f- This causes the glow through the following circuit :-.-F rom green light 21 nto,

the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire d, contact 17, finger 15, wire e, armature 11, contact 13, wire j, finger 150, contact A151,

wire 7c, green lightV 21, wire Z, wire c, wire. .5', wire l1., fingerl 16,., contact' 18, wires z' and m to the negative side of the battery. This also causes the coil 710 to be energized through the following circuits :-,F rom the positive side of lthe battery 20 Vt0 the wire d, the contact 17 ,finger 15, wire e, armature 11,' contact 13, wire j, finger 150, contact 151,

wire lc, wire an, coil 710, wire n, wire b, wire 7L, finger 16, contact 18 and wires z', and m,

tothe negative side of the battery.

Upon vleaving thesignal rail, the relay 10l remains energized through the following holding circuitz-From thev positive side of thebattery 20 to the wire al, contact 1.7, finger 15, wire e, armature 11, contact .12 wire g, contact 8, shoe 6, wire a, relay 10, wire b, wire z, finger 16, contact 18 and wires Z and fm. to the negativerside of the battery. This causes the green light to continue to glow, and causes the coil 710 to remain energized. The coil 711, however, is

deenergized as soon as the bar leaves the rail as there is no longer a current flow to ground.

With the signal rail negatively energized and the shoe standing on the rail, the relay 10 is energized, but the polarized fingers take the right hand position as shown in the drawing. rllhe circuit causing the energization of the relay 110 is as follows1` From the rail 2 to the shoe 6, wire a, relay 10, wire Z), wire n, coil 711, wire 0, axle 4, wheel 3 and rail 1 to the ground. This causes the yellow light 22 to glow through the following circuit From the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire al, wire p, wire t, contact 19, finger 16, wire h, wire b, wire c, wire u, yellow light 22, wire o, wire w, contact 161, finger 160, wire j, Contact 13, armature 11,

wire e, finger 15, Contact 18, wires and 'mJ to the negative side of the battery. This also causes the energization of the magnet 105 through the following circuitz--From the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire d, wire 1),'wire t, contact 19, finger 16, wire 71 wire b', wire n, wire magnet 105, wire 2. wire w, contact 161, linger 160, wire y', contact 13, armature 11, wire e, finger 15, Contact 18, wires c' and my to the negative side of the battery. lt will be noted that the coil 710 is deenergized. i 1

Upon the vehicle leaving the signal rail 2, the relay 10 will remain energized through a holding circuit the same as before, when it was positively energized, but with the flow of current in the opposite direction; rlhis will result -in the continued glowing of the yellow light, and in the continued energization of the magnet 105. It will be again noted that after leaving the signal rail the coil 711 is deenergized asthere is no further current flow to ground.

1f the signal rail is deenergized the holding circuit will be broken at. contact 8; and relay 10, coils 710, 711 and 105 will all be deenergized. rlhe red light 23, however, will glow through the following circuit.:- lfrom the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire d, contact 17, finger 15, wire e,

armature 11, contact 14, wire am, red light'v 23, wire ab, wire c, wire b, wire 71 finger 16, Contact 18, wires z' and m to the negative side of the battery.

`When the points 90 and 92 are in con.

tact, the following circuits are established: From the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire d, wire p, contact 92, Contact,

90, wire g, wire ad, coil 75, wire 7, wire s, wire 'm to the negative side of the battery; also from the positive side of the battery 20 to the wire d, wire p, contact 92, contact 90, wire g, wire ae, coil 113, wire af, wire s, wire m to the negative side of the battery. rlhus when contacts 92 and 90 are forced apart, the coil 75 will be deenergized and of the battery 20 to the wire (Z, wire p, contact 93, contact 91, wire ac, coil 81, wire s, wire m to the negative side of the battery.

The operation of this device is as follows With a green light glowing the magnet 71 is always energized when the vehicle is on a signal rail by coils 711 and 710, and after leaving the signal rail by coil 711 only, therefore the pinion 62 is out of mesh with the gear 48 whenever a green light is displayed.

When a yellow light is displayed, and the shoe is standing on the signal rail, themagnet 71 is -energized through the current flow in the coil 711 and the pinion 62 is thus held out of mesh with the gear 48. At the same time, the coil 105 is energized, and the catch 108 is placed in a position so that it will engage the wing 49, if the latter attempts to pass by; thus if the light in the cab was red before passing upon the signal rail, the receipt of `a yellow'light would mean that the wing 49 would be returned gized and, therefore, the pinion 62 drops into mesh with gear 48. lf the wing 49 were at that time in its maximum position` vthe subsequent movement of the vehicle would drive it to its submaximum position, and it would be held in this submaximum position by the catch 108.

l claim:

l. ln a railway signal system, signal rails arranged along the tracks and adapted to be energized positively oi negatively or deenergized, a vehicle on the track Carrying an electromagnet', three signals on the vehicle, connections between them and the electromagnet whereby one signal is displayed when the electromagnet is positively energized, a' second 'signal is displayed when it is negatively energized, and a. third signal is displayed when it is deenergized, a device on the' vehicle moving in accordance with its actual speed, means whereby the vehicle may be retarded, a device on the vehicle to indicate a permissible speed for it and adapted when actuated to move from a higher speed indicating position to a lower speed indicating position, means for actuating said last named device from the device moving in accordance with the actual speed including power transmitting mechanism, electrical connections brought into play to actuate the `retarding means whenever the actual speed equals the permissible speed, and means for interrupting` the function of the power transmitting mechanism whenever lthe electromagnet on the vehicle is energized and either one of two of the signals is in circuit therewith.

2. ln an apparatus of the character described, a brake, an actual speed indicator, a permissible speed indicator, means automatically adapted when the actual speed exceeds the permissible speed to actuate the brake and means adapted to move the permissible speed indicator to a maximum position when clear conditions exist along the trackway and to arrest it at a sub-maximum position when caution conditions obtain along the trackway.

3. In a railway signal system, signal rails arranged along the tracks and adapted tobe energized positively or negatively or deenergized, a vehicle on the track carrying an electromagnet, three signals on the vehicle, connections between them and the electromagnet whereby one signal is displayed when the electromagnet is positively energized, and a second signal is displayed when it is negatively energized, and a third signal is displayed when it is' deenergized, a device on the vehicle moving in accordance with its actual speed, means whereby the vehicle may be retarded, a device on thevehicle to indicate a permissible speed for it and uadapted when actuated to move from a higher speed indicating position to a lower.

speed indicating position, means 'for actuating said last named device from the device moving in accordance with the-{lactual speed including power transmitting vmechanism, electrical connections brought into pla-y -to actuate the retarding means whenever the actual speed equals the permissible speed, and means for detaining the permissible speed indicating device at a sub-maximum position when the electromagnet is energized in one direction and interrupting the function of such detainer when the electromagnet is energized in the opposite direction or deenergized.

4. ln a. railway signal system, signal rails arranged along the tracks and adapted to ybe energized positively or negatively or deenergized, al vehicle on the track carrying an electromagnet, three signals on the vehicle, connections between them and the electromagnetwhereby one signal is displayed when the electromagnet is positively ener` gized, a second signal is displayed when it is negatively energized, and a third signal is displayed when it is deenergized, a device reinar?? on the vehicle moving in accordance with its actual speed, means whereby the vehicle may be retarded, a device on the vehicle to indi- -cate a permissible speed for it, and adapted arranged along the tracks and adapted to be energized positively or negatively or deenergized, a vvehicle o n the track carrying an electromagnet, three signals on the vehicle,

connections between them and the, electromagnet whereby one signal is displayed when lthe electromagnet is positively energized, a second signal is displayed when it is negatively energized, and a third signal is displayed when it is deenergiz'ed, a device on the vehicle moving in accordance with its actual speed, means whereby the vehicle may be retarded, a device on the vehicle to .indicate a permissible speed for it and adaptedwhen actuated to move from a higher #speed indicating position to a lower speed indicating position, means for actuating said last -nameddevice from the device moving in accordance with the actualspeed including power transmitting mechanism, electrical connections brought into play to actuate the retarding means whenever the actual speed equals the permissible speed, in combination with means for automatically making va reclord of each application of the retarding device, including. a needle armature in circuit with the retard-ing device actua-ting mecha# nism, and a' paper roll moved from the power transmitting mechanism.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, a device on a vehicle moving in'accordance with its actual speed, power transmitting mechanism, a device on thevehicle moved by such mechanism but in accordance with a permissible speed, and which device includes a shaft, a member rotating therewith, .detents adjustably arranged to limit the extent of its rotation and a movable Idetent adapted to hold the shaft at an intermediate position. In an apparatus of the character described, a device on a vehicle moving in accordance with its actual speed, power transmitting mechanism, a device on the vehicle moved by such mechanism but in accordance'with a ermissible speed, and which device inclu es a shaft, a member rotating therewith, detents adjustably arinsonni ranged to limit the lextent of its rotation, and a movable detent adapted to hold the shaft at an intermediate position, in combination with automatic means for holding it normally inactive, and other automatic means to move it to position Whenever certain predetermined conditions exist along the trackway.

8. ln an apparatus ot the character described, a permissive speed indicator adapted by its movement to generate a speedreducing' curve, means for moving it from a maximum to a minimum position controlled by an electromagnet and means tor arresting its motion at a sub-maximum position, comprising an armature lever normally held inactive by'a spring` and brought into active position by the energization of a seoond elc-ctromagnet to move the armature lever against the tension of the spring.

9. ln a railway ,signal system, three signals adapted to indicate danger caution and safety conditions, a permissible speed indicator, means tor moving it from a maximum to a minimum position, independent means tor moving'` it from a minimum to a maximum position, a detent adapted to arrest it at anintermediate position and means for moving such detent to position Whenever the caution signal is displayed.

1U. ln a railway signal system, three signals adapted to indicate danger, caution and safety conditions, a. permissible speed indicator, means for moving it from a maximum to a minimum position,` independent means for moving it from a minimum to a maximum position, a detent adapted to arrest it at an intermediete position and means for moving such detent to position Whenever the caution signal is displayed, includingan armature lever and an electroniagnet adapted to control the same in circuit with the means for operating the caution signal.

11. ln a railway signal system, three signals adapted to indicate danger, caution and safety conditions, a permissible speed indicator, means for moving it from a maximum to a minimum position, independent means for moving it from a minimum to a maximum position, a detent adapted to arrest it at an intermediate position and means for moving such detent to position whenever the caution signal is displayed, including an armaturs lever and an electromagnet adapted to control the same in circuit vvith the means for operating the caution signal, the means for moving the permissible speed indicator including two gear wheels, means :for normally7 holding them out of mesh When either clear or caution signals are displayed vand means for permitting them to mesi. Whenever a danger signal is displayed.

12. ln a railway signal system, three signals adapted to indicate danger caution and safety conditions, a permissible speed indicator, means for moving it 'from a maximum to a minimum position, independent means i'or moving' it from a minimum to a maximum'position, a detent adapted to arrest it at an intermediate position and means for moving such detent to position Whenever the caution signal is displayed, including an armature lever and an electromagnetl adapted to control the same in circuit with the means for operating the caution signal, the means for moving the permissible speed indicator including two gear Wheels, means for normally holding them out of mesh when either clear or caution signals are displayed and means for permitting them to mesh Whenever a danger signal is displayed, the means for holding, them out of mesh comprising an armature, and an electromagnet provided With two coils one of which is in circuit With the safety signal operating means, and the other of which is in circuit with the caution signal operating means.

PAUL il. SlMli/EN. 

